How To Memorize - Learn To Memorize and Increase Memory

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How to Memorize Verbatim Text

By Mark Shead 207 Comments
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Memorizing does not have to be as hard as most people make it. The problem is
that most people only know how to memorize by reading the same thing over and
over again. You have to learn to memorize. In this post we are going to look at how
the brain remembers and then show how to use that knowledge to come up with a
method for memorizing verbatim text. Any tip or trick that will improve your
memory even slightly is well worth the effort.
In this article we are going to focus on a technique that will let you easily:
1. Memorize a speech
2. Memorize the Bible
3. Memorize lines
4. Memorize Scripture
At the end of this article is a Javascript tool that makes it easy to implement this method. If
you are reading the RSS or Email version, the tool may not show up.
Synapses and Neurons and How to Memorize

In the simpliLed model of the brain in this discussion, well be looking at neurons and synapses. Neurons
are parts of the brain that can send and receive electrical signals. Synapses are the paths between neurons.
When you remember something neurons Lre signals down particular synapse pathways to other neurons
which in turn Lre signals to other neurons. The particular sequence represents a memory. In fact, scientists
have been able to make people re live experiences from the past by poking around in their brain with an
electric probe and starting this interaction.
Strong Pathways
Synapses appear to exhibit plasticity. The strength of the signal they convey is determined by use. The more
a particular synapse is used, the stronger the signal it conveys.
For example, consider remembering your home telephone number. Since this is a number you use on a
regular basis it probably comes very easily to mind. When you try to recall the number some neurons Lre of
a signal down some synapses that carry a very strong signal to other neurons which do the same thing. The
number comes with very little effort.
Now consider a number that you will have trouble remembering. Lets say your drivers license number. For
most people an attempt to recall this number will cause neurons to Lre down very weak synapses. If you
are like me, the signal is so weak that it will probably not create the necessary chain reaction to recall the
number. In fact all I get is a vague impression that the Lrst letter is an S or E. To improve your memory of
this number it is necessary to Lre a signal down the synapses that will trigger this memory.
How to Memorize Practice Recalling not Repeating

This is the crucial concept of any type of memorization. The act of reading
something you want to memorize Lres different connections than the act of
recalling. This is how you learn to memorizeyour practice recalling, not
repeating. This means that simply reading a particular piece of text over and
over again is going to be the long road to memorization. You need to let your
brain practice recalling the data so it can strengthen the same pathways that
will Lre when you need to remember the information later on. You cant
practice recalling until the information is at least partially contained in your
short term memory.
Now lets look at coming up with a method for memorizing text using our understanding of how the brain
works. So lets say we are trying to memorize the Gettysburg Address by Lincoln.
Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new nation,
conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.
Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived
and so dedicated, can long endure. We are met on a great battle-Leld of that war. We have come
to dedicate a portion of that Leld, as a Lnal resting place for those who here gave their lives that
that nation might live. It is altogether Ltting and proper that we should do this.
But, in a larger sense, we can not dedicate we can not consecrate we can not hallow this
ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our
poor power to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but
it can never forget what they did here. It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the
unLnished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us
to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us that from these honored dead we
take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion
that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain that this nation, under
God, shall have a new birth of freedom and that government of the people, by the people, for
the people, shall not perish from the earth.
The 278 word speech is not a particularly long oration, but it will work for our demonstration purposes. Our
goal is to create a method that will force our brain to practice recalling the speecheven before we have it
fully memorized. So Lrst of all we need to get it into our mind so our brain has iteven if we cant recall it.
Here are a few methods that will work:
1. Read through it aloud.

2. Copy the text by hand.
3. Read through the text and create a short outline.
4. Have someone else read it to you.
There are other methods as well, just do something to get a general familiarity with the piece. Now we need
to come up with a method to give our brain, just enough information to recall the original text without simply
reading the original.
F s a s y a o f b f o t c, a n n, c i L, a d t t p t a m a c e.
N w a e i a g c w, t w t n, o a n s c a s d, c l e. W a m o a g b-f o t w. W h c t d a p o t f, a a f r p f t w
h g t l t t n m l. I i a f a p t w s d t.
B, i a l s, w c n d w c n c w c n h t g. T b m, l a d, w s h, h c i, f a o p p t a o d. T w w l n, n l r
w w s h, b i c n f w t d h. I i f u t l, r, t b d h t t u w w t w f h h t f s n a. I i r f u t b h d t t g t r b u t f
t h d w t i d t t c f w t g t l f m o d t w h h r t t d s n h d i v t t n, u G, s h a n b o f a t g o t p, b
t p, f t p, s n p f t e.
What weve done is taken the Lrst letter of each word. Now try to recite the speech while looking at the text
above. Youll probably get part way into it and get confused. Backup a few letters and look beyond the letter
you are struggling with to see if you can Lgure it out. Remember you are trying to help your brain Lnd the
right connections. If you have to consult the original, make note of what confused you and start over.
I have found this method to be much more productive for memorizing verbatim text than just about
anything else. I used it extensively in school when I was trying to Lnd how to memorize scripture quickly. It
will help improve your memory by giving you a way to practice. However, keep in mind that it is simply one
method. When you need to memorize something, think about how to help your brain practice recalling the
informationnot merely reading it over and over again. Your goal is to quickly get the information into your
short term memory so you can start practicing the recall process and move the information into long term
memory.
Below is a tool to help you produce Lrst letter text as shown above. Simply paste the original text in the top
box and hit the button. All the letters other than the Lrst one of each word will be stripped out and placed in
the bottom box. You can then copy this into a document for printing.
Convert
Filed Under: Development

Tagged With: brain, memorization, memory
Comments
hghannahbanana10 says
December 8, 2011 at 4:55 am
I use Lumosity all the time. Now, we have to memorize The Gettysburg Address in my English
Honors 9 Class keeping in mind that Im an eighth grader. We are using the method of
memorization that includes our teacher reading it to us and us, the students, writing down the Lrst
letter of ever word. Its working out really well though. I have a 103.98% in her class :) YAY ! i !
Reply
Billy says
May 23, 2016 at 9:07 am
Does Luminosity work in your opinion ?
Reply
JB_cuties says
i am an I.T student.Im not good on recalling codes in visual basic or any programming. what
would i do??
Reply
Mark Shead says

December 9, 2011 at 7:33 pm
Your best bet is probably to program a lot.
Reply
Bla says
June 12, 2016 at 10:15 am
I hate you
Reply
Mark Shead says
June 25, 2016 at 8:40 pm
Im sorry you feel that way.
Settle says
June 14, 2017 at 9:28 pm
Hatred is the devils work. It hurts me to say this, but you should be more
considerate on what you say to others. People like you who do not think of whether
or not what they say will hurt another are the reason we have problems in this
world. If everyone could just be kind and compassionate, the world would be at
peace and we could live out our god-given lives as happy individuals.
Merilee says
I use this tool a lot! Please leave this page here, it makes it so easy to memorize my lines for plays
as well as Bible verses. Thanks for sharing!
Reply
Alex. says
January 9, 2012 at 7:20 pm
WOW! I just got assigned a memorizing piece of history and it has to be done by tomorrow. It was
memorizing the Preamble. This works wonders! Thank you so very much! (:
Reply
Mark Shead says

I am glad it is useful to you. Best of luck with your assignment.
Reply
Stacy M in OK says
Mark,
Thank you! The boys can use this tool for their Bible Bowl competition.
Reply
ANMB says
February 2, 2012 at 10:22 am
Hi there again. Is it possible that the individual who created the conversion tool that works for
English, but not Arabic, would please contact me so we can discuss developing one that works for
Arabic? Thank you.
Reply
lan says
February 18, 2012 at 5:26 pm
I just started to memorize Bibile verses and it has been so cumbersome.

I am deLnitely excited to try your method. What a blessing this is. Thank you!
Reply
Saleem says
This has been extremely helpful for memorizing my my emergency medical technology protocols.
Thanks a bunch!
Reply
Lana Ally says

March 6, 2012 at 7:33 pm
Awesome!! :D :D :D
Sooo helpful!! Ive got a French presentation tomorrow, and Ive got like 100 lines to memorize
(and I mess up French grammar a lot), so I thought it would be epically hard, but no, Ive got it all
good now! Now I can get an A+ (AGAIN)!!!
Lana Ally
Reply
Patience says
March 8, 2012 at 1:13 pm
I had a State Test I had to study for (CNA) and I had to memorize about 50 procedures. Thankfully
I found this site a few weeks back and used this method to help me memorize. I did indeed pass
my test, and this site had alot to do with it!
Thank you!!!!!
Reply
richard kelly says

April 21, 2012 at 5:38 pm
brilliant!!! thought you were off your rocker at Lrst, but hell 2 hours in and i have all but memorized
3 chapters of economic key terms!!! thank you thank you and thanks :)
Reply
Erin says
May 9, 2012 at 8:08 pm
OMG! Something that actually works for me! I am horrible at memorization. This is brilliant. Ive
been working on a short speech for only an hour or so and have made more progress than I
normally would in days.
Reply
Hasan says
May 22, 2012 at 11:52 am
This is so useful. Ive used the Lrst-letter-of-every-word converter for all of my English Controlled
Assessments (dunno what you Americans have but at the age of 16 we have GCSEs and in
English there are several written essays in which you are internally examined) and have got A*s in
all 5 of them.
I am also using this for my French and Spanish Controlled Assessments. Its equally as useful
although there seems to be issues in words with accents (ie it will convert Qubec into Qb
instead of Q).
Other than that, thank you. You have made my life easier and my GCSEs will help my A-levels
which will help my university degree which will ultimately get me a job.
Thanks, you just gave me a job :D
Reply
Chris says
June 6, 2012 at 3:33 am
Thought to share this system works great! I memorised three pages of legislation, which is a
tongue twister in itself, and had a break for two days. I applied the method and not a hiccup at all
in remembering it.
Thanks for helping me out. :0)
Reply
Amado Peter A. Garbanzos says

June 26, 2012 at 4:18 pm
Hi. Thanks for your article. It really helps me a lot. I am a law student and some of my teachers
wants that their students memorize some provisions of the law verbatim. Do you have a
downloadable version of the memorization tool I can use so that I dont have to go back to this site
to convert text? It would really help. Thanks!
Reply
Mark Shead says

June 26, 2012 at 7:15 pm
I dont but look through the comments. Reader Jeff Miles made a tool that might do what you
are looking for.
Reply
hugstablebear says
July 3, 2012 at 6:16 pm
Thanks for showing me something new that actually works for me. This is a very useful technique.
Im amazed that Ive never seen it anywhere else before.
Reply
Desmond Gialanella says

September 7, 2012 at 5:59 pm
not a very effective method for learning the v for vendetta speech.
-B o t m a o n, p m t, i l o t m c s, t s t c o t d p. V! I v h v v, c v a b v a v b t v o f. T v, n m v o v, i a v o t
v p n v, v. H, t v v o a b v s v, a h v t v t v a v v, v g v a v t v v a v v o v.
T o v i v; a v, h a a v n i v, f t v a v o s s o d v t v a t v.
V t v o v v m v, s l m s a t is m v g h t m y a y m c m V.
Reply
David A says
September 15, 2012 at 6:50 am
Thats why Mark made it plain that Lrst letter text is ONE method. There are many more, and
he has helpfully made a few suggestions in the narrative of his article.
It is up to you to select one or more method that is best for you (and the Vendetta speech)
Reply
William Montalvo says
October 12, 2012 at 7:59 pm
It is an *incredibly* effective method to memorize that speech. You just have to devote a little
time to it. For a text that size maybe 1-2 hours per session, maybe a little more and then keep
going back to it every day, each time it will be easier, until you dont even need the aid
anymore. Print it out on a page with the full text up top and the shortened text below and as
you go mark the places where you make a mistake with a pen. That will remind you of where
you keep missing a word or two. Memorize it one line at a time and only move onto the next
line once youve got the Lrst line down. It can totally be done. Ive memorized MUCH longer
texts using it, like most of the NY Penal Law and the content of the New York bar exam.
Reply
adnan says
this is the most discult method i have seen try to use to learn medical study .
Reply
Sim says
Guys, its supposed to be a joke, because the speech is primarily alliteration.. ;)
Reply
Kamran shah says
April 2, 2016 at 4:16 am
Thatll be effective when you stay focused and concentrated.

Its an advanced way of memorization.
Reply
Sebastian Boneta says

Very interesting method for verbatim text. I wonder if you couldnt start by getting rid of the vowels
Lrst or scrambling the letters except for the Lrst and last, before moving on to just having the Lrst
letter. Perhaps you could progressively eliminate data until you got to that point?
Reply
Mark Shead says

That is an idea. I thought about some type of system that would gradually leave out letters
until you get to just the Lrst letter and then start removing those and replacing them with
spaces as well. However, my experience has been that if you read over two or three
sentences a few times and then switch to the Lrst letter method, youll have it memorized
very quickly so Im not sure if you will gain anything over a slower approach. You dont want
to spend more time on Lddling with your tool than you do on actually using it to
memorize.still it is an interesting idea.
Reply
TORREGOSA MARJORIE says

July 1, 2014 at 10:45 pm
IT IS AMAZING YEAH AS A STUDENT I REALLY GET STRESSES TO MY STUDIES BUT THEN I
USE THIS IT MAKES MY STUDIES EASY.
Reply

I have to thank you for this application. I would not have passed the New York and New Jersey bar
exams without industrial use of this method (I memorized all of the subject areas of law using it,
thats over 17 separate outlines for one test). You really literally saved my life. Please never let this
site go down, as a lawyer I memorize almost every important piece of law I need verbatim using
your application.
I am currently using it to memorize the laws of Puerto Rico for the Puerto Rico bar exam. I cant
wait to recite the Puerto Rico code verbatim to my clients or in court >:D
Reply

Also, awesome side-note, in Spanish it weirdly highlights all of the words that have accents
(they are left in)! So the word deber is shortened to d instead of d. Thats an amazingly
useful glitch. It should dramatically improve my spelling on the test :-) since it will force me to
remember the words that have accents. Anyway bravo, you should put this on the App store
for money and also make a native desktop version for it. Id buy it and keep it forever lol.
Reply
Oisn says
I would not have passed the New York and New Jersey bar exams without industrial use of
this method (I memorized all of the subject areas of law using it, thats over 17 separate
outlines for one test). You really literally saved my life.
By literally, you mean that you were going to be killed if you had not passed those exams?
Perhaps you mean this Lguratively or metaphorically (i.e. the exact opposite of literally)?
Reply

November 9, 2012 at 3:07 pm
Well English can be a confusing language Oisn, especially if youre not very familiar with
it, so I will try to clear this up for you:
The word life doesnt just refer to biological life, as in I would have been dead had I not
passed the bar. Most words have multiple meanings that vary by context.
According to the Meriam Webster dictionary, life can also mean the sequence of
physical and mental experiences that make up the existence of an individual. Now, you
are probably of at least average intelligence I guess well maybe. Lets say there is a
slight possibility that you are a person of average intelligence, since you seem to know
how to write in English with somewhat decent punctuation. Therefore, you probably
know that failing the bar exam would entail some consequences, or at least like any
person of average intelligence you should be able to guess that there could be such
consequences.
Had I failed the bar, it would have meant 4 stressful months of waiting for the results,
then Lnding out that I had failed, and another 3 months before I could have taken the bar
exam again in February of the next year. I started working at a Lrm after the bar exam, I
might have faced the real possibility of being Lred (depends on the Lrm). Which would
have meant that I would have had to stop working in the middle of my Lrst year after
graduating law school, stopped earning income, and faced the scorn of my peers for
failing a required exam (the results are public, so everyone in the legal community can
Lnd out if you passed). On top of that, taking the exam the second time would have
meant another months long wait for results, and had I failed then, it would have meant
ANOTHER giant wait to take the exam. Failing the bar exam can have a devastating
effect on the career of a lawyer. Which could have seriously affected my physical and
mental experiences. Not failing it, thanks to this site, saved me from having to go
through that. Therefore, this site literally saved my life (from sucking).
Furthermore, lets assume that failing the bar exam would have led me into a massive
depression, and this had resulted in a desire to kill myself. Lawyers and law students can
face incredible pressure to perform, so these things are not uncommon. Perhaps there
is a history of depression in some members of my family. And with the economy the
way it is, and all the money weve thrown into a legal education, its a highly plausible
outcome. Certain things in life can be pretty devastating emotionally. And in the legal
profession, there are very few second chances. Fail to get into a decent school, fail to do
well in that school, fail to pass the bar, and you can bet that youre going to have a very
discult time repairing your career. So in that sense, my life could have also been
terminated.
Therefore my saying that this method saved my life is correct for at least two
meanings of the world life. Im not going to write a dissertation here about how it might
be correct for even more meanings, because that would just be beating a dead horse.
Im glad I could clear that up for you. If you are confused about the proper use of other
English words or expressions, feel free to send me more questions. I know English can
be a hard language to understand for some people. I dont judge.
For additional reading, I suggest you look up the terms hyperbole and context. You
might not be familiar with the usage of hyperbole in the English language either. Also
look up sarcasm and irony.
Have a nice day.
Reply
Oisn says
November 10, 2012 at 8:06 am
Furthermore, lets assume that failing the bar exam would have led me into a
massive depression, and this had resulted in a desire to kill myself.

Fail to get into a decent school, fail to do well in that school, fail to pass the bar,
and you can bet that youre going to have a very discult time repairing your career.
So in that sense, my life could have also been terminated.
William, If this were a cheesy TV courtroom drama, my lawyer would at both of
these points interject with something like Objection! Speculation, your honour. I
dont know if that happens in real life; perhaps you can shed light on that.
My point which was genuinely made without any assumption of idiocy or poor
English skills on your part, since its a common error was simply that by using the
word literally before saved my life, you accidentally indicated that you physically
would have died had you not passed the bar exam.
No amount of ad hominem attacks on my intelligence or English language ability,

nor drawn out hypothetical scenarios change that fact. Rather than bitterly insulting
me, wouldnt it be more productive to simply accept the correction and move on,
very slightly wiser?
BTW Im glad that you made it, after many years of hard work. I myself have
suffered at the hands of a long, drawn out PhD which may or may not end
successfully soon, with only my own lack of discipline and focus to blame.
However, I dont insult the intelligence and language skills of everybody I come
across simply because Ive been poor and struggling since starting as an undergrad
9 years ago.
Id encourage you to re-read your entire comment from a neutral perspective and
ask yourself whether it was really warranted or appropriate.
William says
You are still wrong and failed to address all of my points. But its ok if you cant Lgure out
counter arguments and choose to focus on straw men, it only helps prove Im right.
I will restate a few of the arguments you did not address and counter your silly last
comment:
(1) My original comment was valid as hyperbole, it is not incorrect for me to use
literally if any reasonable person could see that I was exaggerating. You literally dont
understand that hyperbole is a valid rhetorical device in the English language (and I dont
mean that last sentence as hyperbole). Being an unreasonable person doesnt make you
right about grammar.
(2) You also did not address the argument that this website literally saved my life from
sucking (where I used one of the other meanings for the word life and provided a
reference).
(3) A great deal of that was not speculation, Ive led an incredibly discult life and
without describing every detail of my personal life, many of those scenarios (and far
worse) have applied to me far more directly than you think (I merely implied that they
were speculative examples). So again, you are wrong by stating that I am providing
merely speculative arguments, I LIVED through those examples. Prove that any of those
things didnt happen to me. Prove that my life wasnt in danger. Using this technique
literally literally saved my biological life. Literally.
(4) Furthermore, objection overruled, speculative arguments are allowed if they plausibly
make my use of the word literally valid in at least some cases (which would make you
wrong and me right). This isnt court, the Federal Rules of Evidence dont apply.
I suggest you either re-read my comment and refute all of my arguments or concede
that you were literally wrong to correct me. Youve lost in the eyes of the internet court.
PHD or not, you were not right to correct me.
Next time you correct someone, try to be sure that you know what youre talking about.
Or better yet, dont correct people, its really rude and most people wont thank you for it,
especially if youre correction is wrong.
Pardon that I replied to this comment rather than your last one, but the website wont
allow me to reply to the last one for some reason.
Reply
Oisn says
I suggest you either re-read my comment and refute all of my arguments or

concede that you were literally wrong to correct me.
Oh, the old death by 1,000 papercuts. Good one. Im honestly not sure why you
think I need to prove to you that your usage of the word was incorrect. If you dont
agree, Lne, smarter men than us have differed over even more trivial things.
I do not accept your suggestion that the use of hyperbole somehow cancels out the
wrong usage of literally, unless your argument is simply that obvious hyperbole
means its okay to misuse the term because everybody will Lgure it out. In which
case, sure I never suggested that people would actually fail to understand you
simply that you used the word literally but meant exactly its opposite,
Lguratively.
Youve lost in the eyes of the internet court. PHD or not, you were not right to
correct me.
For a lawyer, you have a funny deLnition of what a court is. It most certainly is not
the one person with whom Im arguing over a trivial issue.
Next time you correct someone, try to be sure that you know what youre talking
about. Or better yet, dont correct people, its really rude and most people wont
thank you for it, especially if youre correction is wrong.
No, I absolutely do not agree that it is rude to correct people.
If I make a basic error and someone corrects it, then Im happy to learn something.
If I do not agree with the correction, then we discuss it and move on, hopefully both
having gained a new perspective.
Either way, I dont start raging and accusing the other party of being stupid or
unable to speak English properly, as you accused me.
Again, I urge you to re-read your comments and ask whether your aggressive tone
and response were appropriate.
William says
So according to you:
1. The word literally can never be used in a Lgurative sense in the English language,
ever?
2. Or are you saying that everyone who writes something Lgurative or hyperbolic is
making a mistake by not usig the words in their literal sense *gasp!* and should be
corrected?
3. That I should have said this website Lguratively saved my life? (That doesnt sound
like stupid way to phrase what I wanted to say to you?).
4. That even if my statement was meant literally, I still used the word literally
incorrectly? (Explain that to me, please. I dont have your PHD mastery over logic).
I admit I was a bit harsh, but in my defense you seem like a sheltered, pompous,
arrogant jerk who thinks he knows it all (even when youre wrong) and I dont feel too bad
about what I wrote. Also, youre stupid.
Reply
Oisn says
William:
So according to you:
1. The word literally can never be used in a Lgurative sense in the English
language, ever?
2. Or are you saying that everyone who writes something Lgurative or hyperbolic is
making a mistake by not usig the words in their literal sense *gasp!* and should be
corrected?
What, not using the word literally in its literal sense? You are free to use any word
for any purpose you like, but of course people are also free to point out when youve
used the wrong word for the wrong purpose.
Note how I did not insult you in my original post in fact I didnt even correct you; I
simply _asked_ if what you meant was Lguratively, which is the exact opposite of
literally.
You responded to this question in an incredibly immature fashion, insulting my
intelligence and language skills.
3. That I should have said this website Lguratively saved my life? (That doesnt
sound like stupid way to phrase what I wanted to say to you?).
No. You can say what you like, but I would have just left out the word literally. It
has no more meaning than saying this website Lzzlepoppingly saved my life.
4. That even if my statement was meant literally, I still used the word literally
incorrectly? (Explain that to me, please. I dont have your PHD mastery over logic).
But it was obvious that the statement was _not_ meant literally. When you try to
think of life-threatening situations, a bar exam does not come to mind. Since your
original comment made no reference to any context which would have hinted that
there was any mortal danger involved in not passing your bar exam, the reader
assumes with near-certainty that your life was NOT literally saved.
And that assumption would be correct, since you have admitted that you used it as
what you call hyperbole (a.k.a. wrong).
I admit I was a bit harsh, but in my defense you seem like a sheltered, pompous,
arrogant jerk who thinks he knows it all (even when youre wrong) and I dont feel
too bad about what I wrote. Also, youre stupid.
What makes you think Im stupid? How do you expect to make it as a lawyer if your
response to someone who politely disagrees with you is a tirade of insults? You will
not be taken seriously in court.
Robert says
You say that like its a settled thing. However, this literally/Lguratively thing is still a
controversial debate. The use of literally in hyperbole dates back hundreds of years and
a lot of great writers have used it. Half of the dictionaries have examples of its use in
hyperbole. The most you could accurately say is that some people think literally
shouldnt be used in hyperbole. But its not an established rule or anything. You cant just
say someone is wrong to use it like its a fact. Also, using Lguratively would undermine
the hyperbole, so its a bad suggestion.
Reply
Kieran says
The literally/Lguratively thing has kinda been settled with the Oxford dictionary
changing the deLnition of the work literally to include expressive uses such as Id
literally have died if ken seen me with those granny pants on!
William says
What makes you think Im stupid?
Strict adherence to an arbitrary rule that is really just a pet peeve of yours and not an
established rule.
Expectation that others adhere to your arbitrary rule.
Publicly correcting others when they violate your rule.
Insistence on a violation of said rule even in a case where there is no violation.
Inability to take a Lgurative, sarcastic, metaphorical or hyperbolic statement in anything
but a literal sense.
Inability to see that condescendingly correcting people in public might not be taken
graciously.
Inability to put yourself in others shoes.
Its like talking to an improperly programmed robot.
Is your PHD in computer science by any chance?
And when the middle of the afternoon came, from being a poor poverty-stricken boy in
the morning, Tom was literally rolling in wealth. ~Mark Twain.
the Gloria in that being to his mind the acme of Lrst class music as such, literally
knocking everything else into a cocked hat. ~James Joyce.
He literally glowed; without a word or a gesture of exultation a new well-being radiated
from him and Llled the little room. ~F. Scott Fitzgerald.
The land literally {owed with milk and honey on such occasions, for the lads were not
required to sit at table, but allowed to partake of refreshment as they liked freedom
being the sauce best beloved by the boyish soul. ~Louisa May Alcott.
Id rather be in their company if you dont mind.
Reply
Rhonda says
March 1, 2015 at 3:32 am
Hey, you two guys: your back-and-forth is hilarious, but you both really need to chill
out. And youre making aspiring lawyers and PhD candidates look like anal retentive
arseholes, both literally and Lguratively.
Sarah says
June 29, 2017 at 6:24 pm
Welcome to the internet..
Khizer says
Have anybody used above method for memorizing quran ??
Reply
ANMB says
* I Lgured out why I could not see older comments; I did not realize I was looking at the bottom of
trackback comments section. And when I scrolled up, I could see the other comments through
today.
Reply
Seriously? says
October 29, 2013 at 4:08 am
Montalvo and Oisin please allow me to assist in your literal/Lgurative/hyperbolic, egomaniacal,

Im a lawyer Im in pursuit of a PHD ridiculous B.S.
I came upon this site while searching for a decent memorization tool to help me recite a wonderful
speech Id recently written for my daughters wedding sans paper. I literally wasted entirely too
much time reading your back and forth. I can never get those precious few minutes back. Ever.
You both are tools. (Here I use the word tool Lguratively. Ill save you some time; Youre both
idiots) You actually spent time arguing with one another over quite possibly the lamest topic Ive
EVER witnessed two human beings argue over. And now Ive felt compelled to inform you of just
how ridiculous your B.S. is! Ive actually lost I.Q. points, been sucked in, and joined the circus! I
literally would knee-cap both of you if I were unlucky enough to cross paths with you. Youll
indubitably inquire about my profession, so Ill once again save us all some time here. Im an
enforcer for a large book-making operation run out of Manhattan. I obviously have no PHD, nor will
I ever Lnd myself preparing for the bar here in our wonderful Empire State. I do have the pleasure
of dealing with the likes of both lawyers and other Im smarter than the majority of the population
types on a daily basis. You all cry and beg the same way. And while you struggle with student loan
payments, my income will always literally be far greater than either of yours. For the love of all that
is good and pure in this world, please immediately stop commenting on anything on the internet.
EVER AGAIN.
SERIOUSLY.
Reply
Don Potter says
Mike,
I used your Verbatim Converter to help me memorize the book of Ephesians in the KJV. I started
to make a similar document for the Greek, but that proved to be such a daunting task that I never
Lnished it. I may someday for I would like to memorize the Greek after Lnishing the English.
http://www.donpotter.net/pdf/ephesians_verbatim.pdf
I included enough information from your website to make it a standalone document. I included a
link to your article and the Verbatim Converter.
Thanks a million for making the information and Converter available.

Don Potter
Reply
Jack says
February 8, 2014 at 10:39 am
I cant wait to test this Method. Hopefully it works for Lyrics and Raps too. Ive started with writing
Songs and havin a lot of Problem to memorize them, trying repeating several times over and over
again. Sucks a lot when the Results doesnt come out as You expect it to.
Reply
Chris F says
April 24, 2014 at 4:25 am
Very effective for memorizing school material. My class test are Lll in the blank, short answer and
essay and if you test yourself by writing it down afterwards it makes test taking for this class a
piece of cake.
Reply
Viartex says
July 18, 2014 at 8:22 am
If you are like me, the signal is so week .
Gee when i went to school, I seem to recall (from memory) that in this context week was spelt
WEAK
Maybe I have a broken synapse.
Reply
Mark Shead says

July 24, 2014 at 10:49 am
You are absolutely correct. Thanks for catching that. Ive changed it.
Reply
jennifer says
God i hate people. STFU and stop being so snotty.

I have a habit of noticing errors writing from my work as an editor, but when i correct
someone, I dont feel the need to start with, Well when i was in school, it was spelled
WEAK not week.
What i heard when i read that- was When i was school, I was a complete douchebag
and my douchebaggery has served me well in my adult life.
When i was in school- I made fun of u.
Mark- this is fantastic, and I LOVE Lnding things like this that will help me study for tests.
I barely went to highschool, and now that im in college Ive since settled down but never
learned how to effectively learn.
Now as a junior, I have a 4.0 and a full scholarship, but I still have no idea how to
effectively learn,. Not to mention, I have recently Lgured out that I am mildly dyslexic.
This makes learning very discult.. As we speak, Im studying (aka procrastinating) for
Lnals, and Im stressing out! My classes are now seriously challenging, and If I dont pull
a hail mary im going to lose my 4.0. ;(
Though none of my tests will require me to remember things verbatim, I hope I can use
this somehow to absorb the material.
Thanks for writing this!
I dont think ive ever left a comment for anything ive read, but bc i should be studying
right now, I felt compelled to Lnally address the maddness; ppl need to stop
commenting on articles, and turn the topic into a debate about who is the bigger
douchebag. How about we, as assholes behind a computer screen (i dont discount
myself here) start being positive, and stop Lghting with each other about bs. Lets share
helpful and useful information!
If not, future generations are gonna be such douchebags that the fuking universe is
going to explode!
Think of the children!!
Reply
Rhonda says
March 1, 2015 at 3:38 am
Wow, I love comments on articles! Often learn a lot more about a topic than the
article provided, as well as seeing a wide variety of opinions and world-views. And
nit-picking debates between wanna-be lawyers and PhDers can be priceless!
Seth says
I memorize verses for Bible quizzing, and I have found that a very effective way to memorize
verses is to:
1. Read verse out loud 5 times.
2. Write verse one time.
3. Read verse out loud 5 more times.
4. Write verse one more time.
5. Read verse out loud one more time.
6. Quote verse 5 times by memory.
7. Read verse once to make sure I have not been quoting any words incorrectly.
8. Quote verse 5 more times by memory.
Every day, quote EVERYTHING you have memorized once (i usually take a break on Sunday).
Continually quoting everyday will, like the article said, strengthen your brains ability to recall
information more esciently. At quizzing events, you can ALWAYS tell whos been practicing hard
and who hasnt. Quoting every day makes a huge difference! I was able to quote an entire passage
one year (180 verses) in 20 30 min. So you cant use the excuse that you dont have time. You
can Lnd time. :)
Reply
Niti says
This is very helpful,but HOW exactly am i supposed to memorize,do i write all the Lrst letter down
and and memorize if that is the process then it is going to taking me a very long time to memorize
all my English,science,social studies,Nepali note which i must say r very thick.My memory is very
weak as well i keep on forgetting what i have memorized within 4 days of time.i am very
{ustered.Help me
Reply
Pamela says
Ive always had disculty memorizing scripture. This method has helped me be successful. So
simple yet do effective. I use a {ashcard app on my phone called Flashcards. I like to use your
converter on my phone so I can cut and paste it into the {ashcard. . Its a little cumbersome. Id
love to have the converter as an app. Just a suggestion. Thanks so much.
Reply
Joe billy bob says

This is a very effective method, I had to memorize the Gettysburg Address and this helped me do
it in like 1 or 2 hours when it would have taken me a full week. I will use this method on other thing
i have to memorize too. THANKS ALOT!!!!!!!!!
Reply
Corey says
Loved this. I was just going through it quickly and just gleaned over the Lrst part of the text. Then I
found myself on something that said it was a tool to help me remember. When I looked at it, it
took a split second and I was reciting the entire beginning of the text.
Impressive! Im a believer!
Reply
Rhonda says
March 1, 2015 at 3:45 am
Here are my two cents on memorizing text, which Ive been trying out for learning sentences in
several foreign languages: learn the last word or phrase Lrst, and work backwards to the beginning
of the sentence. Not sure why it works better than starting at the beginning of the sentence, but it
does. Same goes for learning passages: start with the last sentence and work to the beginning.
Some musicians learn their musical scores this way. Works for me.
Reply
ejr says
March 5, 2015 at 2:52 pm
I have memorized using Lrst letters for years, but have been looking for a tool to make the
stripping process escient. This is it! . . . I think. I was using it for Bible texts and was disappointed
to Lnd that it strips off the ones place out of verse numbers, leaving only the tens and/or hundreds
digits. . . . Any chance a Lx for that will occur in a future development?
Nevertheless, thanks!
Reply
Eric says
April 19, 2015 at 7:30 pm
I enjoyed the argument above, except for one pet hate, the usage of your/youre as used by
William above.
I know English can be a hard language to understand for some people. I dont judge.
This is true, and as a native English speaker, from Ireland, we make allowances.
Next time you correct someone, try to be sure that you know what youre talking about. Or better
yet, dont correct people, its really rude and most people wont thank you for it, especially if youre
correction is wrong
Youre is used twice in this sentence, correctly the Lrst time.
You are can be shortened to Youre, the possession of an object is usually written as your
From the references above I take it that the lawyer William refers to Puerto Rico and may not be
a native English speaker, I also take it that Oisin is Irish, and if not a native English speaker, has a
very good grasp of English. (Irish Gaelic is the language of Ireland, but not as widely used as
English).
Ill save you some time; Youre both idiots

This lad knows the difference!
Reply
Iohan says
June 29, 2015 at 6:13 pm
Absolutely brilliant. You helped me a lot by sharing this method. I actually memorized 2 pages of
scrambled scientiLc text in just 4 hours (which is a personal record). This method is awesome.
Thanks!
Reply
Mark says
August 30, 2015 at 2:10 am
Very interesting and useful method. I was well familiar with the acronyms concept . However this
is approach , gives a real power to this memorization technique.
Reply
RW says
Thanks for the tool, I have been using this technique as an educator for over 20 years now but had
to copy, paste, and delete. For large passages I leave the 4 letter words and eventually tool it down
to Lrst letter onlyonly.
Reply
Hans says
This is fantastic! Is there a way to work with this tool o|ine?
Reply
Hans says
My apologies I now see that you recommended we review another users program for this,
which I just did. I have a Mac, so this doesnt quite address my needs, but as long as Im
online, Ill be on this site! Thanks again.
Reply
Duder says
Good strategy, though nowawayds you can copy and paste the text onto Google Translate (in
English) and have their built in audio cpu read it aloud for you.
Reply
School girl says

March 9, 2016 at 1:51 pm
Amazing! I forgot that I had a biology test tomorrow and I learned the whole text in 1 hour,
normally would have taken me days. Thank you so much!
Reply
John Stewart says
June 6, 2016 at 8:01 pm
Im using Verbatim for Bible memorization pocket cards in Church, for an Addiction Recovery
Ministry, and for Seniors. To pick up on your comment about using other methods, too, I point out
four formats: (1) as is from your Bible; (2) on a card with a short phrase on each line; (3) usually
two words in bold on each line, and (4) the Verbatim code at the end. Literally hundreds are using
it. Verbatim is the method of choice for long passages.
Reply
Fran DeVenuto says

August 7, 2016 at 6:43 pm
Im in law school, second year, and I am having a terrible time remembering legal deLnitions
verbatim and unfortunately, some professors require it and take off if you miss even a word. Ive
always learned by understanding general concepts and applying them to particular facts
(geometry, for example). However, when I was a child, I could easily memorize poetry and still
remember the poems today. I should mention that I am an older student. Any suggestions would
be very welcome. I dont want to fail for want of a nail.
Thanks.
Reply
Mark Shead says

August 14, 2016 at 7:32 pm
Have you tried using the Lrst letter method explained in this post?
Reply
Darrell says
I am a professional actor, and this is how most of us memorize our lines. Foolproof method.
Reply
Caleb says
Could this work with math / science theorems and deLnitions?
Reply
Mark Shead says

March 1, 2017 at 10:15 am
Possibly, but I think those things are easier to memorize by trying to deeply understand them
rather than quoting them word for word.
Reply
Person says
March 9, 2017 at 1:02 pm
Yes, as my science teacher says if you really cant understand it you just need to learn the
deLnitions/equations by heart.
Reply
smith says
May 14, 2017 at 9:21 am
So far its effective but one problem. Im not Lnding a way as to how to memorize sequentially the
Lrst letters we extracted of each word from the speech to recall the sentence and words later?
How to exactly memorize those extracted Lrst letters in sequence?????? Please answer asap. Im
having exam soon. Lol thanks in advance. Much appreciate the method.
Reply
Mark Shead says

May 23, 2017 at 10:29 am
You still have to spend time practicing. Try reading a sentence of the full version and then see
if you can recite it by looking at the Lrst letter version.
Reply
Jeff says
June 30, 2017 at 11:46 pm
Hi,
Would it be possible to post the source code of the script that was used for this? In any case,
thanks for this tool. This tool (me) will use it. If I have committed any grammar errors, Lre away.
Reply
Jeff says
July 1, 2017 at 9:22 pm
Never mind. I see its JavaScript code. Thanks for this page.
Reply
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Filed Under: Development

Does Luminosity work in your opinion ?

Mark Shead says

Your best bet is probably to program a lot.

Im sorry you feel that way.

Mark Shead says

I am glad it is useful to you. Best of luck with your assignment.

I just started to memorize Bibile verses and it has been so cumbersome.

Lana Ally says

richard kelly says

Thanks, you just gave me a job :D

Thanks for helping me out. :0)

Amado Peter A. Garbanzos says

Mark Shead says

Desmond Gialanella says

Guys, its supposed to be a joke, because the speech is primarily alliteration.. ;)

Thatll be effective when you stay focused and concentrated.

Sebastian Boneta says

Mark Shead says

TORREGOSA MARJORIE says

William Montalvo says

William Montalvo says

William Montalvo says

Have a nice day.

No amount of ad hominem attacks on my intelligence or English language ability,

I suggest you either re-read my comment and refute all of my arguments or

No, I absolutely do not agree that it is rude to correct people.

What makes you think Im stupid?

Its like talking to an improperly programmed robot.

Is your PHD in computer science by any chance?

Id rather be in their company if you dont mind.

Welcome to the internet..

Have anybody used above method for memorizing quran ??

Montalvo and Oisin please allow me to assist in your literal/Lgurative/hyperbolic, egomaniacal,

Thanks a million for making the information and Converter available.

If you are like me, the signal is so week .

Maybe I have a broken synapse.

Mark Shead says

God i hate people. STFU and stop being so snotty.

Joe billy bob says

Youre is used twice in this sentence, correctly the Lrst time.

Ill save you some time; Youre both idiots

This is fantastic! Is there a way to work with this tool o|ine?

School girl says

Fran DeVenuto says

Mark Shead says

Could this work with math / science theorems and deLnitions?

Mark Shead says

Mark Shead says

Five Productivity Tips

Get More Done With Less Stuff

Productivity and Battery Life

Refining Your Online Presence

The Power of Physical Communication

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